Ambush at Fort Bragg

By: Tom Wolfe

Narrated by: Edward Norton

As the producer of a prime-time TV news magazine, Irv Durtscher fancies himself the Federico Fellini of television journalism. For who else can draw 50 million viewers, satisfy the network's gluttony for profits, and advance the cause of social justice? The only problem is that no one else recognizes Irv's genius. Instead, all the accolades go to the blonde bombshell anchor who won't give balding, near-sighted Irv the time of day. But suddenly, Irv has a chance to break the most sensational story of his career - one that will surely catapult him into the national spotlight and into Madame Bombshell's heart.

For months, the wheels of justice have ground to a halt as three soldiers from Fort Bragg have categorically denied that they savagely beat and murdered a member of their company because he was gay. Now, Irv Durtscher, self-proclaimed soul of a soulless industry, is poised to expose the truth. With a fortune in surveillance equipment, he has infiltrated a bar near Fort Bragg, in the hopes that the unwitting soldiers will hang themselves on videotape. What he gets is pure dynamite. But Irv's story won't be complete until he arranges to ambush the three young toughs and show them the footage. What happens when one of New York's media elite confronts the Lords of Testosterone?...not what you think.

Ambush at Fort Bragg is classic Wolfe - a blistering send-up of one man's drive for fame and glory and the lengths to which the media will go to showcase their version of the truth. This is Wolfe at his very best - timely, relevant, and right on the money about many aspects of '90s America: the media, the military, the South, discrimination, and homophobia.

©1997 Tom Wolfe (P)1997 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, All Rights Reserved

Worthy listen for Ed Norton fans

While the contents of the actual story were a bit predictable and quite linear, I still found them to be an enjoyable critique on media manipulation and homophobia. That being said, Edward Norton is what sold this for me. He does an amazing job and can certainly nail a southern accent. Recommended mainly for Norton fans.

Excellent narration!

Wolfe's story hasn't aged all that well. It embraces a number of the same stereotypes it seeks take down. Still, it's almost a companion piece to Sorkin's "A Few Good Men." And Ed Norton is one of the great readers of all time. It's quite a performance, and his ability to move smoothly from Irv to Lola to Mary Carey is amazing. I do not know whether he's narrated any others in Audible, but I will look.

Slow Starter

I enjoyed this reading of Ambush at Fort Bragg immensely... once it got going. The story started slowly, but once it started moving, I was entralled. The narcisistic producer, the aging but still attractive talking head, and the young soldiers were believable and well developed characters, considering the brevity of the book.

Edward Norton (Fight Club) is in his element as he portrays the young soldiers from the panhandle. The southern accent is so strong, it nearly requires translation. This is my first experience with Mister Norton as a reader, and I think he did a fine job. He isn't in my top five readers, but the fit for this particular audiobook was very good.

Tom Wolfe has some salient points to make in this novel, and none of them are subtle. He hammers them home with a sledge hammer. My only complaint, and it is minor, is that this story should have gone on beyond its ending. I found myself looking forward to what was about to transpire, so that when the credits were read, I was longing for more.

Good made better by Norton

Would you listen to Ambush at Fort Bragg again? Why?

No, it was good but it's not "inspiring".

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I expected it having read many of Wolfe's books

What about Edward Norton’s performance did you like?

I think he is an excellent reader just as he is an excellent actor

Any additional comments?

It' not the most inspiring of Wolfe's books. Nevertheless it has his typical signature in the way the language is used to create rhythm and melody and in the overblown egos that hold the main characters on a leash. It's always wonderful to see how Wolfe manages to make the most improbable actors in the drama deliver the most authentic (even if despicable) speech.

Media Left vs Americans

Edward Norton is awesome as the narrator...


Basically, you get Dr Quat from "I am Charlotte Simons" and Jed Kramer from "Bonfire of the Vanities" and Ellsworth Toohey from "The fountain head"...wrapped up in one evil twisted Media type...listen to the book to see what happens.

Ambush at Fort Bragg

This definitely is not Tom Wolfe's best work. The story is lacking the Wolfe twist that makes his books so great to read. The plot doesn't develop into anything that truly grabs the reader and the character development is limited.